Wind River Range - July 2018

[Curt]

Leaving Saturday for a week-long trip with three others in that area. We will be hiking a 65 mile loop with a side trip to Titcomb Basin. We had zero mosquitoes last year but that was early September. I'm wondering now if we should bring bug spray or not. I took it on the Uinta Highline Trail as everyone said it was needed and the skeeters were bad but ended up not really using it. However will carry if it's necessary in the Winds.

I think that whether there's mosquitoes or not has to do with whether there's been a few nights below freezing. When we were there, the nights were in the 40's. Maybe, by now there have been some freezing nights. It might be worth a call to the forest service office in Pinedale to find out. One less thing to haul in your pack for 65 miles! Sounds like a great trip. Looking forward to your Trip Report!

 

[Miya]

Amazing trip report and photos!
Holy Moly!!!! The Pika is so adorable, I just wanna PET it!!!!
I love that flower as well. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Artemus]

Nice TR, thanks! Love the reflection off the tarn....

 

[Artemus]

...
And a trivial note, the red snow is caused by algae. A professor in college told us that it was slightly radioactive (makes sense considering all the UV radiation it is exposed to) but I've never read or heard that anywhere else.

I am pretty sure that this algae is aeolian transported as well. It comes in on the wind and accumulates over the winter. I think I've seen it in every high mountain range I've been to.

 

[DuneElliot]

Just to report on the mosquito situation...minimal even above 11000ft. There were a few and I was wishing I wasn't lugging around a 12oz can of bug spray

 

[Artemus]

Just to report on the mosquito situation...minimal even above 11000ft. There were a few and I was wishing I wasn't lugging around a 12oz can of bug spray

Perhaps this would be better posted to https://backcountrypost.com/threads/wind-river-mountains-conditions-2018.7691/ . ??

 

[Born to Hike]

Fantastic photos! I can sit for hours on end in those high mountain meadows of wildflowers surrounded by granite peaks..almost convinces me to take along a better camera (than a smartphone) when out backpacking the reverie..almost but not quite!